And the Jazz Band Played On
by missgeekgirl
Summary: A high school jazz band AU. Rodney plays piano and builds bombs. John's new at school.It's marked complete but might do more in this AU if ppl like it. McSheppy cuz that's just the way I roll. Don't own them I just play with them from time to time.


"McKay. Meredith McKay!" Mr. Caldwell's voice was sharp and frustrated, cutting through the low pitched din filling the school bus.

"Actually, I prefer Rodney." Rodney snapped as he let the physics text he had been critiquing fall to his lap. Looking up through a tangle of blonde curls he glared at the teacher standing at the head of the aisle.

"Actually, I don't care if you prefer being called The Big Kahuna, you need to pay attention. I'm assigning rooms. You're with Sheppard."

Rodney felt his face turn pink as the other student snickered in response to Caldwell's sarcasm. Then when the music teacher's words registered, the flush darkened to an angry red.

"Wait I'm supposed to be rooming with Radek, we're going to work on our science fair project between rehearsals." McKay gestured towards the short mousy student seated across the aisle. He snorted in irritation when Zelenka twitched nervously in response and tried to hide behind his huge dreadlocked seatmate.

"Not on my watch you aren't. The last time you two stayed together you built a bomb in your room." Caldwell crossed his arms and met Rodney's glare with one of his own.

"It wasn't a functioning bomb. It was a replica. Although with a little plutonium it probably would have..."

"The hotel maid who found it didn't know it wasn't real. We missed out on that competition because we had to convince the police you two weren't terrorists. You are rooming with Sheppard and that is final." Caldwell pointed towards the new student slouched lazily on the back row seat.

"But..."

"Final! If you keep arguing, you're out of the band. You aren't the only student here who can play the piano." Caldwell had clearly reached the end of his limited patience. He looked back down at his clipboard. Ignoring Rodney's frustrated splutters he continued to read out names and room assignments.

Realizing he wasn't going to get anywhere with the teacher, Rodney transferred his glare to the messy haired boy sitting at the back of the bus. McKay's mouth sloped in a sulky line as the obviously brainless jock smirked back at him. Great, that confirmed it; this was going to be the worst field trip ever.

Caldwell finally stopped droning on and motioned for everyone to begin exiting the bus. Rodney slowly gathered up his belongings as the rest of the students filed past him. Angrily he shoved the physics text into his knapsack.

"You prefer to be called Rodney right?"

Rodney glanced up from his knapsack, his sarcastic response fading as he took a good look at the e boy standing entirely too close to him. Sheppard was tall, and leanly muscled, not medium height and scrawny like Rodney. He was dark haired and had hazel eyes that shifted from gold to green. He moved with a lazy grace that must have made all the cute girls at his last school sigh.

"I'm John, John Sheppard. I guess we're going to be roomies." John let his out stretched hand fall down to rest on the back of the seat when Rodney just stared blankly at him. "Did you really build a bomb on your last field trip? That's impressive. But I think Caldwell is still kind of pissed about it."

Rodney's blue eyes widened and then narrowed in aggravation. "Well thank you Captain Obvious. Good to know you were paying attention and not thinking about hair gel."

John ducked his head and raised a hand to ruffle through his already dishevelled hair. Tilting his head slightly he grinned crookedly at Rodney. "Oh I think about lots of things other than hair gel McKay." John leaned a little closer letting his hip bump against Rodney's shoulder. "And for the record, I'm really good at paying attention when something interests me."

Rodney stared at him silently, mouth opening and closing in shock. Cursing his fair skin he felt yet another blush rising up as he struggled to find a proper reply. Sheppard couldn't possibly have meant for that comment to sound so flirty.

John's smile widened at the sight of Rodney's red cheeks and huge blue eyes. Reaching out he snagged the knapsack from McKay's unresisting hands. He winked at the boy flustering him even more, before turning and sauntering to the front of the empty bus. Despite his original misgivings John was now glad he'd listened to Ms Weir. The guidance counsellor had urged him to join the jazz band when he had transferred to Atlantis Prep. She had claimed it would be a good way to make friends. John gave in figuring he could quit later, but any intention to bail had disappeared once he had attended a few rehearsals. He did really enjoy playing the guitar but his new found musical enthusiasm was mainly due to one skinny, mouthy, sarcastic, blond genius. Meredith Rodney McKay was definitely the most interesting thing about this new school. John leaned against the bus waiting for his bomb making roommate to join him. Sheppard just had a feeling he was really going to enjoy this field trip.


End file.
